Community Demoman strategy

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— The Demoman

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Like the Soldier, the Demoman is a versatile and easy class to use in most situations. It can be great for players who have poor aiming skills or those who have experience with Team Fortress Classic's Grenades. A minor downside to the Demoman's Grenades is that he can cause damage to himself with them. Advanced players can transform the Demoman from a Grenade-sprayer to a lethally accurate gibbing machine.

Quick Tips

The Demoman is vulnerable when surprised or relocating. Run alongside teammates when on the move, and otherwise keep to cover.

Your biggest advantage is delivering damage where other classes can't reach. Try bouncing grenades around corners and lobbing bombs through windows and onto battlements.

When defending an objective, try placing stick-bombs on the objective and retreating to complete cover. You can use the game's alert messages ("The control point is being contested!") to detonate them at just the right moment, eyes closed.

Look for map opportunities where you can create a death trap while maintaining your personal safety.

When aiming for a distant target, sometimes the best option is to skip grenades along the ground rather than lobbing them across the sky.

The Demoman can be an effective melee combatant, but you'll want to equip an entire melee equipment set first (shield, boots, melee weapon). In this mode, a Pyro-like ambush strategy is best.

General

The Grenade Launcher rounds will explode on contact with an enemy player or building, such as a Sentry Gun, giving massive damage. These Grenades can also rebound off a wall or another platform.

Sticky bombs can be used to propel the Demoman into the air, similarly to the Soldier's Rocket jump technique. This allows players to move over large distances quickly or get into hard to reach places. However, the Demoman is also susceptible to fall damage when landing from a Sticky Jump. If you go too high, you could die from damage of the explosion and the fall.

Sticky Bombs can travel great distances by holding the primary fire button for an extended time. Players can use this to their advantage when targeting foes from afar.

Sticky Bombs can be placed in tunnels, upon ceilings, or in between map details such as support beams. Doing so will conceal them until enemies draw close enough to secure a considerable hit or a kill. This is an effective strategy since players tend to scan floors more often than ceilings.

To take out Sentry Guns around corners, the Sticky bombs are often more useful than the Grenade Launcher, since accurate rebounds aren't necessary. A player should simply throw a few Sticky bombs next to the Sentry Gun and detonate them: the blast will destroy the turret quickly and perhaps injure a nearby enemy Engineer tending to it.
- Three Sticky bombs directly next to a fully upgraded enemy Sentry Gun will destroy it, two if they're crits.

The Demoman has two main roles:
- Defense: The classic role for the Demoman is defense. For example, a Demoman can place Sticky bombs on key areas, then switch to the Grenade Launcher to keep enemies at bay. As soon as an enemy walks within the blast radius of the Stickies, the Demoman can detonate them with the alternate fire button for an easy kill.
- Offense: When a team's progress is denied by a strong Engineer-led defense, switch to offense to punch through their defenses. Along with the Spy and the Pyro, the Demoman is a team's best hope in clearing enemy Sentry Guns and Heavies.

A good team-mate for the Demoman is the Scout, who can capture a point or the Intelligence after enemy defenses are cleared. The Scout can also help battle enemy Engineers who will attempt to confront the Demoman directly.

While it is certainly an effective strategy to stay at one choke point in a map and set up Sticky traps, this typically requires full, active attention; it is essential to survey the capture point constantly for incoming enemies. If a player wishes to Sticky bomb something while still retaining the flexibility of being able to move all around the map, Sticky bombing objectives comes in to play. While this seems obvious, the bonus is that the game automatically alerts the player (one way or another) when the objective is under attack or being captured. When this happens, simply detonate the bombs to secure a quick and easy kill. (It may not work with the Scottish Resistance, because the delayed explosion may give a Scout enough time to run away.

The Grenade Launcher is very useful as a fire-support weapon. Instead of closely confronting enemies in an assault, hang back near (but a little ahead of) friendly Snipers. Next, fire the Grenade Launcher high into the air (45 degrees or higher) and launch all 4 shots in a row in the general direction of the opponents. Do this continually, using Ammo Boxes or Dispensers to maintain ammo supply. This technique, dubbed "artillery," often results in extra kills and assists for Demomen while keeping them well out of the way of harm. It can be especially useful in 2Fort because it will land in the center of the battlefield.

Grenades linger on the ground after bouncing. Just because an enemy isn't near where a grenade first bounces doesn't mean an enemy won't run over it and take damage when it explodes. In chaotic fights involving a lot of people, enemies often tend to ignore less immediate threats like Grenades and instead focus on charging Pyros or Heavies. Lay down some grenades in order to push them back.

If an initial attack doesn't kill the enemy, the Grenade Launcher and Sticky bombs will often launch them away, allowing a player to set up for another attack while also forcing them to adjust their aim.

Sticky bombs can be used to scatter enemy Sticky bomb traps. Plant a Sticky bomb or two in center of the minefield and detonate them. The enemy mines will scatter, making them less effective.

When shooting at moving opponents with the Grenade Launcher, aim ahead of where the enemy is going in order to hit them dead on. Depending on distance, aim up a little to account for the grenades' ballistic trajectory.

The Sticky bombs are one of the few weapons that have a visible Critical hit notice before they are activated. This denoted by an aura of sparkles coming off the bomb when it is placed, meaning it will be cause a Critical hit to an enemy player. Fewer stickies are required in an area with a Critical Sticky bomb because of the increased damage.

In addition to being a good offense against Sentry Guns, the Demoman is also effective at assisting Engineers fight off enemy Spies. Place one or two sticky bombs near a building, then wait nearby. When an Engineer says "Spy sapping my [building]," or if an Engineer just destroyed a Sappers, then detonate the bombs and return to reset them. The Stickies will not damage a friendly player or building.

A Demoman is one of the best counters for an ÜberCharge pair, arguably second only to the Pyro. First, place a string of Sticky bombs on the ground to create a mine field. Either detonate them just before the pair reaches the bombs to push them backward or just after the first one crosses the bombs to separate the Medic from his ÜberCharge target. Even if they manage to regroup, they have lost precious seconds of invincibility. Sticky bombs can also be placed on walls or edges of bridges in order to push the pair into corners or off of bridges. Use advance planning and creativity to make this strategy effective.

As a Demoman can only place eight stickies down at once with the Stickybomb Launcher, previously shot Stickies will blow up after passing this limit. The "self-detonating" stickies can still damage opponents, and could be a useful tactic for taking out incoming enemies while still attacking other enemies with new stickies.

The Grenade Launcher has the additional advantage of not suffering from falloff damage (on a direct hit). Only two other weapons in the game, the Sniper Rifle and the Pyro's Flare Gun, have this property. This means that the weapon is deadly at all ranges. For example, a Soldier has similar damage output and more health than a Demoman up close, but at long range his damage falls off to less than half of his point blank damage, while the Demoman's stays the same. As such it helps to get some range on Soldiers when fighting them. (A thing you should think of while doing this is, when you go back, your accuracy weakens while the Soldier's stay the same)

When retreating from a lost fight through a tunnel or pipes such as in 2Fort, the Grenade Launcher and Stickybomb Launcher can easily finish off a pursuer. Using the Grenade Launcher in these areas will give the enemy no place to run and the Sticky bombs can kill them when the enemy can't even see them. This strategy isn't recommended against experienced Pyros, as a Pyros compression blast will bounce the grenade back, meaning certain death for an injured Demoman.

Aerials

Grenade Jumping

For smaller jumps or when having a group of stickies already deployed elsewhere, it might be more beneficial to use Grenade Jumping. This inflicts slightly less damage, and placed stickies are left undetonated. YouTube video on various grenade jumps.
Note that, obviously, grenade jumps are less practical than sticky bomb jumps in situations where enemies may be nearby due to the fact that one must wait for the grenade to explode. However, Grenade Jumping is a very viable tactic with the Chargin' Targe equipped, and it can easily catch people off guard when they find a Targe-equipped Demoman in such an awkward place.

Stickybomb Jumping

Sticky jumping is similar to Rocket Jumping. It allows a player to jump much higher at the cost of more health (45-114 excluding fall damage). To do this, lay a sticky bomb(s) on the ground, run over it, jump, and then detonate. As when Rocket Jumping, crouching in mid-air before setting off the sticky will propel the player with even more force. Multiple stickies can be used for an even greater effect, at the cost of a higher amount of self damage (Using this method, it is possible to jump from one battlement to the other in 2Fort). When Sticky Jumping with the Scottish Resistance, any stickies directly under the Demoman will be detonated when the alternate fire is activated, so long as there are no other stickies in the reticule. However, jumps with a lot of forward momentum are difficult to achieve with the Scottish Resistance unless the sticky bomb being used for the jump is being directly looked at -- essentially the player will be facing away from the direction they wish to go when the bomb is detonated. This can take some practice to get used to.

Weapon Specific

Primary Weapons

Grenade Launcher

An easy weapon for the inexperienced and a deadly tool of destruction in the hands of an experienced player.

Grenades explode on contact with an enemy, provided they have not bounced first.

Grenades can be used as an improvised temporal area denial tool when the secondary has no stickies loaded or the Sticky Jumper or Charging' Targe is equipped.

Grenades spin when fired, which sometimes causes them to bounce unpredictably. They do obey gravity (e.g. bouncing down slopes) and will bounce around corners and off walls. Predicting their direction after multiple bounces relies on knowing the area being attacked. To shoot long distances it's often better to jump and fire than change the angle of fire much past 45 degrees.

Like most other Team Fortress 2 weapons, accuracy can only be relied on at close quarters. Grenades launch to the right of the cross-hair, so lead to the left to compensate. This is especially important for dealing with the faster classes such as Pyros and Scouts.

But keep in mind that it is very easy to avoid grenades at long and even medium range - because of the grenade's low speed, enemies have a lot of time to react. High angle fire at long distances can help to hit enemies behind cover.

If an enemy is about to run away, shoot one or two grenades at his escape route. After that, attempt to get a direct hit.

If a group of enemies are distracted, it's better to bounce grenades off walls to get splash damage, but be careful not to miss as bouncing if off the ground at any angle makes the grenade dart forward.

The Grenade Launcher's large splash damage radius is useful against large groups of enemies in small confined spaces.

Jumping on a fired Grenade will provide an effective, mid range jump that's comparable to a sticky jump. It deals less damage to the player than the sticky bomb launcher, so it's perfect for cautious players.

Grenade Launcher can be used to protect you and any Sticky traps you have set up; also, many players rarely expect a Demoman with Grenade Launcher out to have a Sticky trap at all.

Loch-n-Load

The Loch-n-Load is notably weaker on area control and building demolition than the standard Grenade Launcher, as standard grenades will, barring a direct hit, stick around for a few seconds and then explode, whereas the Loch-n-Load's shells shatter on impact, exploding only if they hit an enemy or Sentry Gun/Dispenser/Teleporter.
The Loch-n-Load's higher damage per-hit and higher splash damage, paired with the increased shot velocity means that the Loch-n-Load is a great weapon for tunnel fighting; it proves its worth in areas like the tunnels of ctf_turbine and pl_hoodoo. Consider taking it if you have to fight in such an area, as the shells are much harder to avoid than the Grenade Launcher's, especially for bigger targets like the Heavy.
The Loch-n-Load's grenades are somewhat better for dealing with tightly-packed crowds than the Grenade Launcher, making it extremely good at holding choke-points - again, mostly due to the enhanced damage and speed. You're simply more likely to hit a member of a group with a faster grenade shell, and higher damage makes them all the better. If you can get enemies to cluster up (such as any of the control points on cp_egypt), the damage and disruption the Loch-n-Load can cause makes it extremely useful.
The Loch-n-Load does have a small clip size (which means more reloads in the face of enemy aggression) and does notably more self-damage than the Grenade Launcher. It's a good idea to switch to your Sticky Launcher of choice for extended battles, and switch to a suitable melee weapon should an enemy insist on getting close.
The Loch-n-Load functionally removes your ability to Grenade Jump, since the grenades explode on impact with an enemy. This means you will need to either use Sticky Jumps to get to hard-to-reach areas, or else find another route.
The Chargin' Targe can mitigate the improved self-damage of the Loch-n-Load in close combat situations.
The Loch-n-Load is particularly devastating against low-HP classes - the Sniper, Engineer, Scout, and Spy. A direct hit will leave these classes with critical health - and often kill them through falling damage alone if it knocks them into the air.
Reload often; with only two shots, you really don't want to get caught with empty chambers in the middle of a firefight.
The downside of destructible grenades can be used to your advantage if an enemy Pyro is good with the airblast. Should the Pyro airblast the grenade but miss you and/or your teammates, the reflected grenade will be destroyed without any explosion whatsoever. This is an immensely useful advantage to have when fighting skilled Pyros.
The Loch-n-Load is part of the Expert's Ordnance set, and will need to be used if you intend to take advantage of the set's fire resistance.
In summary, this weapon is one that takes skill, timing, and good accuracy to make the most of. Practice making direct hits from various ranges and angles if you intend to use it; your time will be well-spent honing your technique.

Ali Baba's Wee Booties

Used in conjunction with either the Chargin' Targe or the Splendid Screen and a Melee weapon, you can become a melee based offensive powerhouse.
However, in doing so, you will lose all ranged damage altogether, which can be hazardous in areas populated with Heavies and Sentries.

Secondary Weapons

Stickybomb Launcher

The use of Stickybombs is one of the defining features of advanced Demoman play. They are detonated by using your alternative fire (Default key mouse2), no matter which weapon is currently out.

Some basic pointers for planting Sticky bombs are:

When guarding a capture point or the Intelligence, create a large blast radius by spreading out a Sticky bomb carpet.

After planting Sticky bombs around the Intelligence or a Control point, the Demoman is free to leave the area. Look at the Capture the Flag or Capture Point HUD elements, or listen for the announcements of "The enemy has taken our Intelligence" or "Our Control point is being captured" and detonate the Sticky bombs. Keep an eye on the total number of fired stickies, though, as the enemy could be destroying them before stepping onto the point.

When guarding other strategic locations, place Sticky bombs that are either out of sight until it's too late, or in well hidden/odd places (such as on ceilings, under stairs, above automatic doors etc.). Also place Stickies directly on the Intelligence briefcase, where they will be hidden by it.

Never forget that Sticky Bombs can be launched across the visible distance of most open maps. Aim for windows, Sniper ledges and other populated areas. When the trajectory is right, lob in a few bombs and detonate them to clear the room.

If Sticky bombs are clustered too closely, enemy Demomen can clear them away with a single Sticky. To counter this, spread them out whenever possible. Beware of Demomen carrying the Scottish Resistance.

Don't stand still when placing a lot of stickies near objectives like the Payload cart or a control point. Doing so will make the Demoman susceptible to headshots, backstabs, and damage from other weapons as well.

Place stickybombs around Health packs, particularly if they are inside buildings (e.g. under Control point A on Gravel Pit)

An easier way to destroy a Sentry Gun is to get to such an angle that you can place the stickies next to the Sentry Gun, and use their splash damage to destroy it. A few more stickies are required, but it is less likely that the Engineer will be able to destroy them all.

If an enemy is on the control point, wait a moment before detonating, as they may have seen the sticky bombs and be trying to trick you into detonating too early.

When death is imminent, detonate the stickies that you placed. There is a small chance that someone might get caught in the blast radius. It is better to have a slim chance of killing an enemy than losing placed sticky bombs for nothing.

Do not underestimate the power of Airburst Stickies. The ability to detonate Stickies in mid air allows one to attack with great precision for high damage. The only disadvantage is the slow firing rate.

To use Stickies in an offensive battle, it is very effective to constantly launch stickies and detonate them as soon as they come out. The constant flow of damage can add up very quickly, along with the fact that the Demoman may have an easier time laying them out in the heat of a battle in which they are not the only target. This method can be very effective, easily killing bigger classes such as Heavy/Medic combos, in which the Heavy may be firing their Minigun, which slows their movement speed down dramatically, not giving them a chance to move away from the bombs.

Scottish Resistance

The SR is far more effective on defense than the normal sticky launcher because of the large number of bombs it can place (currently 14) and the fact that they can be detonated by looking at a desired group of bombs.
Although primarily used for defense, the SR can still be an effective offensive weapon. Its fast rate of fire can be used in direct combat, but not in the same way as the normal Stickybomb Launcher. One tactic is to launch stickybombs behind enemies and then attack using the Grenade Launcher. This should cause enemies to retreat, thereby causing them to move backwards through the newly-created stickytrap which can then be detonated at the right time. This technique helps to offset the longer priming time possessed by the SR. When under the effects of an ÜberCharge, the technique can be used just as effectively without using the Grenade Launcher, as enemies will usually retreat when confronted by an ubered player. It is important to consider the speed of enemy players when using this technique however, as the stickybombs should be placed close behind slower classes such as the Soldier and the Heavy, but further behind faster classes such as the Scout. This will ensure that the stickybombs have time to prime before the enemy reaches them.
When defending anywhere, especially places like tunnels, having 2-3 distinct groups of main bombs (2-4 per group) on the corner/doorway and 1-2 secondary groups (1-2 bombs) hidden along a retreat route can single-handily hold a position. Detonate individual main groups to take out incoming enemies, and if a Scout/Pyro gets past, lure them into the secondary traps.
The longer arming time prevents the SR from being used to deal damage as quickly as the normal Sticky Launcher. It also is much harder to perform airbursts using the SR. This has led to the conventional wisdom that the SR is only useful for creating traps. This is no longer the case now that the SR has gained a 25% faster firing rate. While the bombs now arm even slower, the faster firing can be used to create "offensive" carpets. Instead of creating a trap and waiting for enemies to walk near it, it is actually possible to place bombs around any enemy player(s) quickly and then detonate once several stickies are out. This has the effect of rapidly denying enemies room to maneuver, and almost guarantees that enemies in the area being carpeted will take at least some damage once the carpet is detonated. This technique works best in areas where space is already limited, such as hallways. Also, some enemies may panic as the area around them rapidly becomes covered in Stickies, and cause them to either rush forward blindly (into a trap) or run away. Finally, this method of attack works wonders against unaware opponents, since many players are oblivious to Stickies being placed around them until it's too late.
While the SR does require the user to be looking in the general direction of the bombs they set, they do not have to be looking directly AT the bombs in question. Even if there isn't a direct line-of-sight to placed bombs, they can still be detonated, no-matter what their location is on the map, provided the crosshair is fixated on the general area of your trap(s). This can prove invaluable if someone begins capturing a Control Point or takes the Intelligence while the rest of the team is busy chasing down an opponent or otherwise preoccupied elsewhere.
While not all of the SR sticky-bombs cannot be detonated at once, they can be detonated in rapid succession by holding down the detonate key (Right-Mouse Button by default) and swinging the crosshair view across all placed stickybombs.
Remember that the SR can destroy enemy stickybombs. This is quite useful on offense despite the SR's obvious defensive applications. This is especially true on Attack/Defend maps and Payload maps where enemy Demomen often lay Sticky bombs outside the starting gates. Also, if an enemy Über Demoman is coming to destroy a team's Sentry Gun(s), placing a few quick bombs can nullify the charge.
The SR is useful for defending Engineer nests. Since it can destroy enemy stickybombs, it will be useful if 3-5 stickies are put around the buildings of the Engineer. Activate them if a Demoman tries to destroy it with the sticky launcher. This is also useful for dealing with Spies placing Sappers.
This weapon is great to trick enemies. Set a small group of stickybombs (2-3) unseen near a doorway/entrance/etc. Near the same doorway, set down the rest of your stickybombs. When an enemy comes near, blow up the first group and they will think that the sticky bombs are done for. Then when the enemy comes to the second group, they will not be expecting a giant stickybomb explosion.

Sticky Jumper

The Sticky Jumper is a weapon used for practicing sticky jumping. However there are some advantages over the normal Stickybomb Launcher if a player wants to use it in serious online play.
The Sticky Jumper is incapable of dealing damage to enemies as well as the user. Keep this in mind when using it.
Using the Sticky Jumper with the Pain Train can make be an effective method for point capturing. However, both weapons will make you extremely vulnerable. It is best to use this combo against unguarded points or after the previous point was just captured.
Due to the 100% reduction on self-damage, Demomen can perform 8-stack Sticky Jumps without the need of a Medic. This can be used as a hasty retreat method or as a means to get behind enemy lines.
Due to the similar appearance with the Stickybomb Launcher's stickies, "fake sticky traps" can be placed to throw enemies off. If the enemy sees stickies on the ground they usually won't proceed and will go back to find a different way. Use this to confuse or deter the enemy. However, do not use this in a one-on-one fight.
It might not be wise to use this weapon with the Eyelander because of its health penalty and vulnerabilities. The penalties will make the Demoman a very fragile combatant. However, once a player has collected several heads, said player will be extremely mobile and have a more respectable amount of health. Using the Chargin' Targe in order to accumulate a respectable amount of heads before returning to spawn to equip the Sticky Jumper is a far more practical idea.
A Demoman with great aim can actually benefit with the Sticky Jumper while using the Demoman's item set. With the Sticky Jumper, you won't take any self damage, so you can easily ambush an enemy with the Ullapool Caber or the Loch-n-Load, and you won't take any damage from the Caber like you normally would, AND you won't take any damage from close encounters with the Loch-n-Load.
Using the Sticky Jumper in tandem with the Ullapool Caber can have devastating effects. Use the Sticky Jumper to gain access to enemy occupied control points or areas from above and come down with Caber to weaken their attack/defense strength.
While sticky jumping in large, open maps or areas, take note of any enemy Snipers in the area. Your increase in vulnerability can make nearly any shot fatal, and any your falling pattern can be you an easy target.
You also do not take damage from the Pumpkin Bombs found in the event versions of Harvest and Mann Manor. Use this to your advantage to cause great damage to enemies.
A common tactic in open areas is to get in using the Sticky Jumper, do damage, then escape using the Sticky Jumper.

Chargin' Targe

A simple shield, just equipping it gives the Demoman resistance to both explosions and fire. A Demoman at full health - even with the Eyelander equipped - can survive a critical rocket if they have the Targe equipped.

Keep an eye on your Charge meter, as its color will tell you the effects of the Targe - White is recharging or charged, Green is a recently-activated charge (less than 50% used); yellow means your next attack will be a Mini-Crit, and red means that your next melee attack will be a full strength Critical hit. The red zone also means that colliding with an enemy will cause the Targe itself to inflict damage. (50 Damage + 10 damage for each Head you have, up to 5 heads.)
You must be quick to react, as the 'Red Zone' will only be active during the last 25% of the Charge.
Try to attack enemies that are unaware of your presence. Getting behind a Soldier or Medic and charging will result in an easy kill.
Charging down long hallways can force enemies back as well as give you a chance at a few kills.
If you're in danger or on fire, use the charge to quickly move out of the battle zone to find a Medic or Health pack.
The very end of your charge grants you a Critical hit with whatever melee weapon you are using. Using this critical in conjunction with the Eyelander can result in an instant kill for every class except for the Heavy and Soldier (it will leave the Soldier with 5 health left). Demoman, Pyro and Medic can survive if they are fully overhealed (A Demoman can also survive if he has collected enough heads).
The Chargin' Targe does deal damage if you come into contact with an enemy at the end of your charge. This shield bash deals a good amount of damage (50 + 10 for each head you have taken, up to 5 heads), useful for finishing off targets you have struck with the Grenade Launcher (Targe will not shield you from your own grenades and any grenades fired near the end of the charge will not be made critical by the charge, despite the Crit effect shown).
The Targe gives you a resistance to fire and explosive damage, but not to bullets and other projectiles. Keep this in mind when charging at Heavies, Scouts, or any players that have a Shotgun equipped.
Do not attempt to charge Heavies unless they are distracted by other teammates or you know they are very weak. The Heavy's Minigun fire is very effective at close range, and if they have Natascha equipped, you will effectively be slowed to a stand still. If you are hit with Natascha, your only real chances are to either crawl to cover or to spam grenades in hopes of killing the Heavy first.
The Force-A-Nature's knockback, the Flamethrower's compression blast, Sentry Guns, arrows, Natascha's speed reduction and the explosive force of grenades, rockets, and Sticky bombs will all interrupt your charge.
Generally don't try to charge enemy who are aware of your presence and can see the beginning of your charge. Simple strafing will help enemy to avoid your attack and make you vulnerable.
During a Charge, you move at 750 Hammer Units per second; two and a half times faster than the Engineer, Pyro, Spy or Sniper, and 87.5% faster than the Scout. Using this sudden burst of speed to retreat can mean the difference between waiting to recharge, and waiting to respawn.
A common technique to use with the Chargin' Targe is to fire off grenades from behind obstacles and other such objects to catch someone's attention, then charge around the object to catch them off guard in their pursuit.
Use the Claidheamh Mòr in conjunction with the Chargin' Targe to increase your charge distance.

Splendid Screen

Melee Weapons

Bottle / Frying Pan / Saxxy

The Demoman's Melee weapon, the Scrumpy Bottle, is valuable as an emergency fall-back, and the only weapon you can use in close-combat without injuring yourself.

The Bottle should be used in the same way as most other melee weapons when enemies are too close or too fast to hit with a Grenade (or if you don't have time to reload the Grenade Launcher).
The Bottle will break on a Critical hit. This is purely visual and has no game effect.
The Bottle can also be used for Spy checking, as it is safer to use than your other weapons in close quarters.
The Bottle has no drawbacks, unlike the Eyelander and the Pain Train so if you aren't planning on bludgeoning enemy players with a melee, it is best to go with this.
Keep in mind that an enemy hit with a Frying Pan will be very quick to know what's going on as the Frying Pan makes an incredibly loud and distinctive noise upon hitting anything that isn't air.

Eyelander / Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker / Nessie's Nine Iron

In most cases, the Eyelander should not be used without the Chargin' Targe. However, a Demoman with 4 decapitations and a Sticky Launcher is a massive threat. Head count is not reset until death, so a smart Demoman can use the Chargin' Targe until he accumulates 4 heads, then return to a resupply cabinet and switch to the sticky launcher of his choice. With over 200 HP and the second fastest run speed in the game, an Eyelander Demoman using the Sticky Launcher can be a very powerful enemy and one to avoid at all costs, especially if he has a Medic.
- This strategy will not work if "Automatically respawn after loadout changes in respawn zones" is checked in Options->Multiplayer->Advanced, as changing weapons respawns the player and resets the player's head count.
The Eyelander has a very long range for a melee weapon. Get comfortable with its area of effect and take this into account when going for a critical charge.
Don't try to use the Eyelander all the time, you should have the Grenade Launcher out and be proficient with it. Use the Eyelander when you can get your enemy by surprise, cornered them or once your charge meter is full again (listen for the beep sound).
- If possible, weaken the enemy with the Grenade Launcher first before killing him with the Eyelander
Be aware that the Eyelander 'hits' near the beginning of the swing animation, rather than at the middle. Keep this in mind so you don't accidentally 'under-shoot' an attack, especially when using the sword in conjunction with the Chargin' Targe.
Decapitating an enemy Demoman who also has the Eyelander equipped allows you to steal any Heads he has accumulated.
The Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker is much larger than the Eyelander, but is otherwise statistically identical.

Decapitation

This taunt kill can be used to kill enemies with one hit. It can be used for very distracted enemies, but like most taunt kills leaves you vulnerable during the animation.
A decapitation will add 1 to your Eyelander head count.
If you catch up to a Heavy about to eat a Sandvich, it is a better idea to use the Decapitation taunt rather than start wailing on them with the Eyelander as they will out-heal the damage and proceed to kill you.

Pain Train

The Pain Train is situational. It is best used on capture point and Payload, especially when the enemy defenses are about to fall or when your team needs to close the distance on a Payload Race. It can also prove extremely handy on King of the Hill maps.

You should not equip the Pain Train if you are having trouble with Heavies and Scouts, as the increased bullet damage makes these already annoying enemies nearly impossible to beat in some situations. Especially if you're using the Chargin' Targe as well, as Pyros and Soldiers if they see you with it might forgo their primary weapons for the Shotgun to kill you faster.

For standard melee tactics, see the Scrumpy Bottle/Frying Pan entry, as they both do the same damage and attack at the same rate (see the Chargin' Targe entry for using melee weapons with it). It's worth noting however that the Pain Train makes a different (and quieter) sound when it hits something.

The Pain Train is also effective for Back-capping, as it gives the Demoman a Scout's capturing capabilities. This works well with the Chargin' Targe for getting to an enemy point fast, and Sticky bomb jumping for wide open/raised points (like Badlands 2nd and 4th capture points, or Gravel Pit C). The weakness to bullets it grants makes Scouts, Heavies and Snipers all the more dangerous for you, so it is best to keep alert when attempting to do this and use stickies and grenades to lock down the point's entrances.

The Pain Train makes you slightly more vulnerable to any enemies that use bullets regularly: Scouts, Heavies, Engineers, Spies and Snipers. This is particularly noteworthy for Heavies, Engineers and Scouts; A Minigun or Sentry Guns can kill you frighteningly fast if either one gets the drop on you, and Scouts are already arguably the hardest enemy for a Demoman to counter, with the Pain Train making them all the more so. Stay sharp and be aware of attempts by enemies to ambush you or set up Sentry Guns in difficult areas.

The Pain Train is useless in Capture the Flag or when defending on an Attack/Defend Control Point map. Equip another melee weapon instead.

Scotsman's Skullcutter

The Skullcutter is generally of good use in two situations: in conjunction with the Chargin' Targe, or when playing defensively, and confining yourself to a specific area (such as the Flag Room of a CTF map.)

Think twice before equipping Scotsman's Skullcutter. Ask yourself: "Am I going to melee as Demoman?". The slowdown of this weapon may be a problem when retreating or running for Health. The range and damage of the Skullcutter, however, is extremely useful when attacking enemies that would otherwise be capable of range heckling you (such as Scouts that insist on getting close).

When combined with the guaranteed Critical hit of the Chargin' Targe, the Skullcutter is capable of killing any class (due to a Critical hit doing 234 damage), save perhaps for an Overhealed Soldier/Pyro/Demoman, or a Heavy (300 to 450 if overhealed), in a single blow. However, the Skullcutter does not collect 'Heads' as the Eyelander does despite the Decapitation animation it triggers, and as such will not add to your speed, health, or the impact damage of the Targe's shield-bash attack.

The charge speed when the Skullcutter is equipped is reduced to 638 hammer units, which is still fairly fast but makes it easier for faster or more alert enemies to evade your charge. Because of this, it becomes a larger priority to choose your targets carefully, and maintain the element of surprise as often as possible (guaranteeing a higher success rate if you do).

With the Skullcutter it becomes possible to charge Heavies and kill them without taking damage fairly easily, due to the fact that a Critical hit and another hit will do over 300 damage. However, if they have a Medic then it is generally discouraged as they will still have around 200 HP after taking a Crit (assuming they have been overhealed fully) and will be able to kill you easily if you do not get a second Critical hit post-charge.

Players of the school of thought who espouse brute force and don't mind the speed loss should consider the Skullcutter; a Demoman with it is still faster than a Heavy, roughly as fast as a Soldier, and can still score random critical hits with it, making it a valued weapon at close-range - somewhere the Demoman is normally at a distinct disadvantage. Just bear in mind that it will reduce your ability to flee or get into close-combat.

Sticky Jumps can help a Demoman with the Skullcutter into combat range, though this takes practice and is more of an art than a science.

The Skullcutter's lowered speed generally is less-suitable for teams on offense (for control point missions for example); it likewise is generally better on defensive assignments (such as King of the Hill).

Ullapool Caber

Upon a successful hit to an enemy or a wall the grenade will explode dealing high splash damage to enemies and yourself. In general this means that it is a last-ditch weapon, one best-used to take an enemy down with you (since if you have low health it will kill you along with it). One direct hit, however, will kill any class other than a Soldier or Heavy barring Overheal.

The explosion will launch you particularly high in the air. It's quite possible to use this, either on its own or in conjunction with a Sticky Launcher variant, to reach otherwise inaccessible locations.
- This functions especially well on DeGroot Keep, allowing you to jump up to the battlements atop the castle. This is useful for killing especially annoying Snipers, for most of them will find attacks at melee range a surprise.

If you find yourself falling off a cliff or getting pushed into a death pit, this weapon can be used to blast yourself back into the playing field - with a little more luck, your enemy won't be expecting you back so soon.

After the grenade explodes the weapon will still function as a melee weapon - but does far less damage then other melee weapons, such as the Bottle. It also retains its inability to cause Critical Hits without a boost.

You can get a new Stick Bomb from the resupply closet after yours detonates.

This is a rather useful Spy checking weapon, as it is an instant kill if you make contact with a Spy. However it's explosion also affects you greatly, so make sure to use it in a place where you can be healed. Try to do this in the safety of your base or where a Dispenser is nearby. However, bear in mind the Dead Ringer invalidates it's benefits and severely weakens you, making it easier for the Spy to kill you, and leaves you with a drastically less powerful weapon.

This weapon can be very useful for enemies that go away in the melee battle, and don't let you hit them with the grenade; because the grenade explodes if you hit any hard surface with it, you can strike the floor or a wall and the resulting explosion will hit them in a very large range (for a melee weapon). For weaker classes (such as Engineers) the explosion alone is quite capable of killing them outright if they're in range.

This weapon is very useful for suicidal picking, as you could sticky jump or charge into an important target (like an enemy Medic) and kill him with it. Be wary of your health if you survive, as the combined sticky jump, explosion and fall damage will leave you with very little health. You will, however, likely die unless you are at full health or overhealed in advance.

The Ullapool Caber is even more effective with the Chargin' Targe - with a critical boost the Caber can inflict more damage in one hit than any other melee weapon and kill any class in one shot barring overheals. Unfortunately, the Targe's explosion resistance does not apply to the Caber's self-damage, and ergo this tactic is usually best-suited to suicide runs, for getting in quickly and ganking a priority target such as a Heavy or Soldier with the Tank Buster set.

Due to its high damage, The Ullapool Caber is a perfect ambush weapon - and again, an even a better one if combined with the Chargin' Targe, as you can kill an Heavy in one critical hit.

It goes without saying that the more enemies in range of your explosion, the better. Remember, though, that each enemy that sees you is another enemy that might survive long enough to take you down. If possible, situate yourself so that your ambush will propel you onto a ledge and out of harms way.

Do not forget that The Ullapool Caber is a one-shot-only weapon, with the stick-and-metal-fragments weapon you have left after striking something significantly less-effective - so use it with caution.

If you are very low on health, it is best to hit the ground with the Ullapool Caber instead of chasing an enemy since they may kill you before you do any damage to them.

Claidheamh Mòr

Always equip the Chargin' Targe when using this weapon, as its bonus only works with it equipped.
The biggest advantage to the Claidheamh Mòr is its mobility enhancement capabilities - which are considerable. It's possible to use the Claidheamh Mòr's improved dash distance to cover enormous distances in one go - you can easily cross the bridge on 2Fort, for example, with one use - and can likewise go from one end of a sewer tunnel to the other with one dash. This makes the Claidheamh Mòr a great weapon for both quickly engaging enemies and getting away.
The aforementioned longer dashes means that the Claidheamh Mòr is a phenomenal weapon for getting the Demoman to and from where he needs to go ASAP; on Payload missions it lets him get closer to the cart on either offense or defense. It truly shines, however, on Capture the Flag maps, where the Demoman can easily grab the briefcase and run like hell, the charge enabling him to outpace and escape even enemy Scouts.
The Claidheamh Mòr is the offensive counterpart to the Scotsman's Skullcutter; whereas the Skullcutter does a lot of damage and is well-suited to defensive missions, the Claidheamh Mòr is mildly ineffective outside of charging attacks and is far more useful on offensive missions.
The extra charge time is also used offensively; the extra half-second of dashing means that you have that much longer mini-crit and critical boost time.
Remember, however, that the Claidheamh Mòr does not collect heads like the Eyelander or Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker.

Half-Zatoichi

The Demoman is faster than the Soldier, so this generally is a better weapon for him than for the Soldier - all the more so due to the Demoman's access to the Chargin' Targe.
The Half-Zatoichi heals you fully if you score a kill with it. This means it can be used to ambush otherwise-weakened enemies when you're low on health for a quick health boost.
The Half-Zatoichi has good synergy with the Chargin' Targe. The Targe can be used even with the Half-Zatoichi drawn, enabling you to easily approach or flee, and the Half-Zatoichi's ability to score random critical hits makes it an impressive weapon for Demomen seeking close-combat.
The Half-Zatoichi cannot be re-sheathed until you have killed an enemy or been killed yourself, meaning that it will leave you functionally without a ranged weapon should you switch to it at an inopportune moment - especially if you lack the Chargin' Targe.
Should you have your TF2 settings to remember your last equipped weapon upon respawn, you will wind up equipped with it and unable to switch. Be sure to change your settings appropriately, lest you be stuck with only the Half-Zatoichi during a fight! This can be negated by touching the resupply and switching weapons within a second.
If you encounter an enemy equipped with the Half-Zatoichi, any hit you cause with this weapon will be instantly fatal - and vice-versa. Because of this, enemies using this weapon are both more vulnerable and more dangerous to you should you have the Half-Zatoichi equipped.
Due to the instantkill mechanic, you can also use Half-Zatoichi as a counter to targe Demomen using Half-Zatoichi even if you don't have a targe of your own. The targe crit is meaningless in a Half-Zatoichi vs Half-Zatoichi battle.
- On a similar note, prioritize other Half-Zatoichi wielders, in battle, either for a quick kill/health boost, or simply to protect yourself from their one-hit kills
This weapon is superb for Medieval Mode. Because you can only use melee weapons there anyway (and the Chargin' Targe can still be used), the drawback of the Zatoichi largely becomes utterly moot.

Persian Persuader

A highly offensive melee weapon, the Persian Persuader effectively doubles the charge rate when using a Chargin' Targe or Splendid Screen. Keep in mind, however, that you cannot benefit from random critical hits and that the bonus is not applied if no shield is equipped.
Picking up ammo with the Persian Persuader equipped will restore your health. This is especially useful for survival. This does not apply to Dispensers, bomb carts or resupply cabinets.
Effective in Medieval mode, where only melee weapons are allowed. Defeated enemies and allies will drop their weapons upon death, giving the Demoman more opportunities to heal himself.

Item Sets

The Expert's Ordnance

Main article: Item sets

The Expert's Ordnance
	Loch-n-Load Ullapool Caber Scotch Bonnet
Effect	No effect

With fire damage resistance you can take on Pyros more easily. If combined with the Chargin' Targe, it gives the Demoman a 60% Resistance to Fire, instead of the supposed 50%.

Weapon Combinations

Example Combinations
Combo			Usage
or Grenade Launcher or Loch-n-Load	Stickybomb Launcher	Pain Train	A good setup for offensive Demomen. The Stickybomb Launcher's decreased bomb arm time, compared to that of the Scottish Resistance, allows the Demoman to quickly bombard choke points or turtling enemies with stickies. The Stickybomb Launcher can also be used to surround ground-level threats with a sticky carpet. Fast bomb arm times also allow the Demoman to quickly sticky-jump to the objective and quickly capture it with the Pain Train's increased capture rate. If your team already has players focused on the points/cart, or if you are playing CTF, feel free to switch to the Bottle to rid yourself of increased bullet vulnerability. Choosing Loch-n-Load you may be able to quickly dispatch the sentry nest without having your sticky bombs destroyed or airblasted in a long range.
Grenade Launcher	Chargin' Targe	Pain Train	A second loadout for an offensive Demoman, by using the Chargin' Targe, you will be able to rush to positions faster and allow for easier getaways, as well as boosted melee effectiveness, at the cost of your sticky launcher, but that may be a good idea if you don't use the Sticky Launcher offensively. You also get the added benefit of being more resistant to explosions and fire as well, so it may be worthwhile if the enemy team has Soldiers, other Demomen and Pyros. Keep in mind that while the Targe charge will make your Pain Train do more damage, it cannot collect heads and doesn't have the same melee range that the Eyelander or Scotsman's Skullcutter do, although the Pain Train does the same damage as Eyelander so a Critical hit will still have the killing power that the Eyelander does.
Loch-n-Load	Scottish Resistance	Scotsman's Skullcutter	For Demomen that desire to do a high amount of damage as well as defense. The Scottish Resistance's higher sticky bomb amount, and the ability to detonate groups of sticky bombs, will come in handy when defending multiple chokepoints or destroying a bunch of Sentry Guns. The lessened speed from the Scotsman's Skullcutter will only reduce the Demoman to a Soldier's speed, but the extra damage and range can be useful when dealing with further threats. Loch-n-Load provides a good support for your team in long distance while defending. It might shatter on surface but it's lethal against a group of enemies.
Grenade Launcher	Chargin' Targe	or Eyelander or Claidheamh Mòr	One of the most balanced setups in Medieval mode. Charging towards enemies and decapitating them with the Eyelander is especially effective when dealing with slower enemies that are alone, and the Grenade Launcher (when allowed) can be used to pick off people at the other team while retreating from an attack. In Medieval Mode, the longer melee range and high mobility gives it a legs up to most class except Snipers and Medics. Replacing the Eyelander with the Scotsman's Skullcutter allow higher damage, which could be crucial when playing defense, while the Claidheamh Mòr allow the Demoman to stay longer in the speed charge, which aside from granting longer Critical hits duration, also allow the Demoman to reach a destination faster.
Loch-n-Load	Chargin' Targe	Ullapool Caber	The Expert's Ordnance - w/ Charging Targe As its name indicated, this setup is optimal for Demomen with good positioning and good aim, as it is not good for direct confrontation due to Loch-n-Load high self damage. Instead, use careful aim to destroy your opponent, and use the set bonus to run away from close range combat that Pyros are skilled at. In medieval mode, this Demoknight variant provide protection from flaming arrows, and is the only class that can deliver splash damages, making it useful when clearing a point filled with enemies. Use the targe to create a critical explosion that may kill several enemies, but be prepared to sacrifice yourself in doing so. Due to this, the use of Ullapool Caber is considered as a last resort in arena mode.
Grenade Launcher	Stickybomb Launcher	Ullapool Caber	This is the basic Demoman set with the Ullapool Caber. The Grenade Launcher is good for medium-range self-defense, while the Stickybomb Launcher can be used to block of choke points while doing other buisness. You do not have to be near stickybombs to detonate them unlike the Scottish Resistance. The Ullapool Caber is good for last resort close combat. It has a certain chance to instantly kill or severely injure the enemy at full health. Your height advantage after using the Caber can allow you to land on a safe platform or a body of water after the attack.